It would appear that some disillusion has set in at the Kremlin over Ukraine’s new president, Viktor Yanukovych. While Russia initially applauded what it saw as a defeat for pro-Western politicians brought to power as a result of the Orange Revolution, Yanukovych has been making some decidedly pro-Western noises, even suggesting that NATO ships might be allowed to dock in Sevastopol – home of Russia’s fabled Black Sea Fleet.
For Russia’s Novosti news Service, columnist Dmitry Babich writes in part:
While the political wind may have changed, there are some facts that can’t be. For example, Sevastopol as NATO’s Black Sea base: this is an absurd and dangerous idea, fraught with potential conflict, misunderstandings and grudges.
Regardless of the frequency and destinations of their foreign visits, the policy of putting Brussels ahead of Moscow has been unfailingly pursued by every Ukrainian president. Which is why Yanukovych’s scheduling of a visit to Brussels before one to Moscow shouldn’t hold any symbolic meaning. When former President Yushchenko took office in 2005, he went to Moscow first. But it was during his presidency that pro-Western policies in the country reached such absurd levels.
Ukrainian politicians often disguise their pro-Western sentiments behind the rhetoric of friendship for Russia, talking eloquently about common bonds and historic destinies. The fact that Yanukovych hasn’t made a secret of prioritizing European integration may be for the better. We’ll have no more false hopes.
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